Fluid-operated pump



y 1943- R. E. LEONARD FLUID-OPERATED PUMP 5 Sheets-S h eet 1 INVENTOR:

Filed June 23, 1941 Roy 5. LEONARD.

flzcwfiwzz-w y 1943? R. E. LEONARD 2,325,256

FLUID-OPERATED PUMP Filed June 2;, 1941 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR: LEON/4RD,

A TTORWE X Patented July 27, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE, rLum ornnA'rnnruMr g Roy E LeonardjAlhamhra, Calif. Application .Iunes 1941 Serial:No. 399,316

' I v 4' Qlainis. (Cl.

- This invention relates to pumpsand more'par ticularly to fluid-operated pumps for pumping wells, such as oil wells, and it is an improvement on my fluid-operated pump covered by my-Patent No. 2,113,213. a i

The general object of the inventionis to pro vide an improved pump of the character stated which is positive and highly eflicient in operation.

Another object is to vprovide a pump of the character stated with means for allowing gas from belowthe packer at the lower end of the my pump includes a plurality of pump units --'l I connected together-in spaced superimposedrelapressure chamber to enter thepressure chamber andcperate the pump. Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter. 4 J

Theinvention is illustrated in the annexed drawings which form .apart of this specification andinwhich,,

Fig. 1 is a'fragmentary vertical section of1my pump illustrating one of the pump units.

vFig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of the 1 lower portion of my pump; includingthe packer in the well at the lower. end .of the pressure chamber, in which packer the lower end of the pump is secured so that the pump may lift fluid from the bottom of the well throughsaid packer. Fig. 3' is a horizontal section. ofv oneoi .the pump'unitstakenon line 3.-3-of Fig.1. Fig. 4 is a horizontalsection of one of 5th pump units taken on line 47-4, of ,Fig. 1=. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of one of the pump units taken on line 5-5;of Fig. v Fig. 6 is a horizontalsection .of oneof pump units taken on line 66 of Fig.- 1.

the

7 is a horizontal section of one of the pump units taken on line 7 of Fig. 1.--; y

Fig. 8 is a horizontalsectionv oi .mypump taken on line 83 of.Fig. 2, showing the yalyed pa e 1 p Fig.9 is an elevation of my pumpwith intion by pipes 2, a packer 3 positioned'iri the lower part of a-well casing 4, an inlet pipe 5 connecting thefllower end of the low'ermos't pump unit l to the upperside of the packer-3,.jan inlet-pipe. 6

connected to the lower side of said packen an inletcheck valve 1 positioned in said inlet pipe 5;. and anoutlet'pipeB cOnnected to the upper end of the uppermost unit [and extending upwardly through'a casing head 9 on the upper'end of the well casing 4; "thereleeing a packing box i 0 in said oasing head -surrounding said outlet pipe 8. 'A fluid inlet pipe H extends 'into seated in said-Casing head"9."'-

fEach'pump unit l jincl'u'des a stator 12', a rotor j ThefstatQr-IZ comprises "a-lowe'r member I6, a topmeriiber ll; statio'nary vane members l8 and 19' and a spacing sleevef2'l'? interposed between said stationaryvane members. *The lower-meme 13,.a slidewalvef l li and a; rotary pum l5 at its be?" is provided w itha plur'ality of fluid inlets termediate portions thereof broken out, showing a plurality of the pump units in elevation and brought close together. and showing other parts of the pump, includingjthe fluid-pressure chamber, in longitudinal section. 1. I

M Fig. 10 is a fragmentary View of my pump,

partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section, illustrating oneoi the pump units.

' Fig. 11 isa horizontal section of Lpneof the pump units taken on line ,l-I- -l l,:of;Fig 1.'

i Fig. 12 is a fragmentary vertical-section taken Referring more particularly to which corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characterslin all of the. figures,

the drawings, in

22 near its uppeiaendwhich inlets! are spaced around 'said 'memloer in the side wallthereof'and said member isif o'rmed with: aninternal -annular seat 25 ,-'u'pbn which-the' valve ld of-fthe' unit rests in its lowermost position whileuncovering saidv fluid inletsf22. 'l he llowenmember 16 is also formed with an axial sleeve bearing-16 extending from the lower end tothe upper 'end' of'said member, on which 'sle'eve bearingthe valve I4 is slidably fitted. The top member l'l bf each pump-uhitilis formedwith= a lowerwall 26, an

inner wall }-21 andan' 'outer wall-28'which converges upwardly and ftermin'ates in I anupwardlyextending internallyethread'ed coupling 29f with which communicates the outlet 30 -insaid top InemberL- there being'formed in saidtop member l a a plurality or annularly-spaced -outletducts 3I fo'rming nozzles which extend upwardlyv through the lower-wall zfi and converge upward- -1y through-the inner wall 21 into the: outlet 30 of saidCtop'- member, In -the "coupling 2 9 of each "pump unit I excep'tthe uppermost unit; is screwseated' the lower end of-one "of the pipes- 2; and in the coupling'29-oi the l i perniostfpump unit is screwsea'ted' the lower end of the outlet pipe 81 Bolts'leeves 32 are formed on the outside of ei e e i mp-i i in l e mem a tionary'v'anemember l acingsIe'eveZI. sta:

tionary vane member ['9 and'topmember'll, re"- 'spectively; through which sleeves are extended elongated bolts;33 wit h' their heads resting upon the upper ends of thesleevs 3gor1 the top meme ply throughthe supplypipe ll into the upper end of the fluid-pressure chamber 11 within the well casing 4, whichfluid fills the spacein' said chamber between the oil level 18 and? the easing head 9, and thepressure' ofsaid fluid upon the oil 'for'ces the'oil firstthrough theiri1etse 22 in the uppermost pump unit'.l and :upwardly through said unit between the vanes .34 of its lower stationaryvane member I8, thevanes H of its rotary vane member -39','.and the van'es;t.4 of its upper stationary vanelmemb-er [9,: through nozzles 3|,and outlet of-said pump unit, and

through the outlet pipe 8'; whereupon the rotor l3-of said uppermostpump unit and'the'rotary body and blade 46 of .thei rotary pump l5 of .v

level of the oil is lowered in saidfluid-pressure chamber Tl below the inlets 22 of said uppermost pump unit 1, fluid under pressure, instead of oil, from said fluidpressure chamber ll passes through said inlets 22 and upwardly through saidpump unit and out through said outlet pipe, 8, thereupon the rotor 13 of said uppermost pump unit I is rotated with greater velocityby the action of the fluid pressure upon the vanes of the vane members I8, 39 and I9 successively, and the fluid passing over the up- 3 per end of the rotor journal 31 aerates or gasifies the oil, which passes out of the rotor journal and outlet pipe 8, and thereby augments the lifting action of the rotary pump E5 of said uppermost unit i. As the uppermost pump unit I is operated by the fluid, as aforesaid, the pressure of the fluid upon the oil in the fluid-pressure chamber ll forces oil through the inlets 22 of the next lower pump unit I and upwardly through said unit and operates said pump unit in the same manner as said uppermost unit was initially operated by the oil, whereuponoil is positively lifted by therotary pump l5 of said next lower pump unit through said unit and the pipe 2 connecting the outlet of said unit to the inlet of the uppermost unit I, and through the tubular journal 31 of said uppermost unit and out through the outlet pipe 8, lifting the ball 58 of valve 51 off its seat 59, so that some oil will pass from said tubular journal 31 through ports 55, duct 55 and port 61 into the lower part of the lower stator member l8, and the pressure of said oil will lift the slide valve M of the uppermost pump unit until said valve closes the inlet ports 22 of said unit and shuts out fluid from the pressure chamber l1 into said uppermost pump unit, so that the rotor l3*of said uppermost unit will cease rotating and the oil is then lifted through the pump by said next lower pump unit I. The pump units below said next lower pump unit are successively operated as above described to lift the oil therethrough and the lifting operations of said pump units successively discontinued as above described, as the level of the oil descends in the fluid-pressure chamber 11, until only the lowermost pump unit I is operated by the fluid under pressure in said pressure chamber 11, whereupon the inlet valve 1 is raised ofi its seat, so that oil is pumped by said lowermost pump unit from the bottom of'the well, below the packer .up through the pump and out through the outlet pipe 8.: Ifjthe loadbecomes toogreatfor'athe lowermost pump unit I, any ;.one r; more i of. the unitsgabove the lowermosteunith will automatically be operated by the fluid; under pressure 'fIOm;,the=jpi*8SSllre chamberflilm I v1; When fthe: pressure/of .;thenatural gas below the; packer 3 in,theqwellibecomes greater than the fluid pressure in the fluid-pressure I cha n ber-Jl, said'natural gas opensythe packer check valves '12 andienters said fluid-pressure chami berg and displaces the fluid-fin said chamber admitted thereintofthrough the fluid-inlet pipe ll,

whereupon said natural gasv entersthe pump units I through theirv inlets 22 and operates said pump units-"for; pumping the oil from the well,. and duringsuch operation ofthe pump the fluid; admitted through pipe H into pressure chamber-1'1 may be shut :pfffrom said chamber, by closing the fluideinlet" valvei I, ;-When the pressure of the natural gas reducesto a point, insufiflcientto operatethe pump the checkwalves l2 1' close, so that. no more natural gas is -admite tedintothe pressure chamber- 11., whereupon the uid) n ve i i s. opened; to a m luid under ,pressure int saidpressure ,chamber to operate the pump as aforesaid. At times the natural gas may be of high pressure but reduced volume, and would not be suflicient alone to operatethe pump, but may be used incom- 'bination with a reduced amount of fluid admitted into the pressure chamber H through the pipe H to operate the pump.

In case the pressure of the gas in the well becomes great enough to caus the oil to flow the oil will be forced by the gas up through the pump, whereupon the valves5l in the pump units I will be opened by the oil pressure and some of the oil Will pass from the tubular journals 37 through ports58, ducts 55 and ports 6! into the lower members It of the pump units and said oil will lift the valves I4 and close the inlet ports 22 of'the pumpunits, so that the pump will stop running,- thus allowing the oil to be delivered entirelythrough' thepump by the natural gas pressure. When the valves M are raised and close the inletports 22 said valves uncover the ports 52 and permit oil to pass freely from under the said valves through said ports 62 and ports, 63 into the tubular journals 3'! and out of the pump with the 'oil flowing through the same under the natural gas pressure;

I do not limit my invention to the exact construction above described because various changes may be made therein without depart Vane stator, a vane rotor, a'valve resting below said inlets in the sides ofjthe unit, and a pump within the unit for positively lifting liquid through the unit, said rotor being formed with a tubular journal rotatably mounted in said stator and communicating withsaid inlet and said outlet, means wherebyv said pump within the unit isoperated by said tubular journal, the space occupied by the vanes of said stator and said rotor communicating withsaid inlets'in the sides of the unit and with said outlet, and means for admitting fluid under sufficient pressure from ss'id'tubuiar .jmzmal'inw unit below said valve for raising :said valve tn clue said inlets m tneusides mime unit. U 2. :In a fiuld-operatgd :pump, a. pump unit provided with an inlet nnd'na Outlet, nndwith inlets in its--s1des,-Sa1dpwnp mmwcomprisin g' i vane stator and a. vane rotor, a. valve :estdng below Md lme'tsdn thegsldelof the unit,a1hd a rotary pump 'wl-tmn the um: xor positixely 11ming liquid through the 'flmit,-fllfl rotor'bemg formed with ambmar ileumti rdbltabfly' mounted in said and dohl'mmibatihg at its Lends, respectively, wlm said inlet and mu outlet, sMd tubular jeuma! being commuted and arranged mauve said rotary pump, fthe spsce ocupiea by the'vanes orsaigi vane stator and said vane whoa comammichtlng with swim-lets the sides of the unit and with said outlet, and means Ior admittlng fluid under sufiicient pressurexmm said tubular journal into the unit below sand-valve for raising said valve to close said inlets m the sides of the unit.-'

'3. In a fluid-operated pump, a-pump nn it provided with an met and an outletand with inlets in its sides, said pump 'un 1t-wompriing a vane stator, a'vme rotor, a valve *restl-ngbelow said inlets in the Hides 6mm unit, and-m pump ,sides bf the unit andmith said outlet, said pump wlthin'flxe pump unit beizhziormed with mu-inlet duct fielding from :said inlet (of the pump unit, and with m'outlet duct leadinaimo said tubular journal, a check valrvemounted in said tubular jtmrml below said outlet duct. and means for admitting fiuidmlmder pressure. firom said tubular 'jaurnalumto thezpumn uni-t below said flrstiv'alve to: raising said valve and "closing said inlets in the sides of the .pump amit, when the mud pressure in said tubular ioumalvbelow said check valve is sumcient ito open said ,check valve. 4. 1a .fiuid-nperaibed pump as claimed in 1211mm: "means form-lowing fluid under, pressure to escape 11mm :nmrler lsaidval-ve mm saidvtuhu- Gar journal when -sm1d valve has :been raisedand closes :sa-id v v v V J ROY LEONARD. 

